Shop ‘til you drop without leaving the house!
There’s no doubt that the proliferation and prevalence of technology has radically changed how we shop, and certainly beyond recognition even a couple of decades ago. The idea of having an entire world of online stores, not limited by geographical location, selling literally everything and anything you could ever want and/or need, and have it delivered right to your front door was the stuff of science fiction.
That science fiction is now not only a reality but now an integral part of our daily lives. We literally think nothing of going online and ordering something in mere seconds – clothes, electronics, music, films, shoes, cosmetics, meals, the list is endless – such is it the ‘new normal’.
With the onset of the unfortunate covid pandemic, and the subsequent lockdown periods, with people stuck in their home they turned in unprecedented numbers to online shopping. During the height of the covid period between spring and winter 2020, online sales increased by 43% (a staggering $244 billion) from the previous year. E-commerce truly came into its own with the onset of covid, and now with the pandemic all but over, evidence suggests that people are not returning to brick-and-mortar stores en masse.
Evidence suggests, in fact, that people who switched to ordering online during the pandemic have stuck with it since, not returning to the previous physical shopping habits they once had. When asked why, those questioned cited two main reasons; cost and convenience. Cost in that online stores can greatly reduce overhead costs and thus pass on those savings to customers; convenience in that customers no longer need to physically travel to a store but rather order in the digital realm and have it delivered to your door.
So, if you’re looking for a great online store in which to combine both cost and convenience, in this article we’ve listed the 5 best online stores wherein we think you can receive both.
1. Amazon
Undoubtedly the undisputed colossus in e-commerce since hitting the scene in 1994 and revolutionizing the very essence of shopping in its wake.
Amazon, quite simply, offers the greatest range of products more often than not for the lowest price, either through its in-house sales or third-party vendors. Probably the best thing about Amazon, and what still sets it apart from rivals, is the sheer range of products, customer service, free delivery, and premium perks for subscribing members. When it comes to online shopping, Amazon is king and for good reason.
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2. eBay
If there’s a rival to Amazon’s dominance of the e-commerce market, then eBay is surely it. While Amazon specializes in (mostly) new items for retail, eBay simply allows one and all to auction whatever they fancy to the highest bidder.
Whatever you’re looking for – be it popular or obscure – it’s a good bet that it will turn up on eBay at some point. The sheer range of items, the vast array of vendors, the ability to bid or to purchase outright all make eBay an indispensable online outlet.
3. Etsy
If handmade, unique items are your thing then Etsy is the online selling site for you. A vast and wide range of crafts, clothes, jewelry, home decor and other crafts and supplies available for auction have made Etsy the foremost vintage and handcraft auction site in the world.
Since first going online in 2005, Etsy has racked up hundreds of millions of items sold, with over 7 million sellers and over 95 million buyers, Etsy has become the place for vendors of vintage and handcrafted items to enter the world marketplace.
4. CostCo
Probably the most popular warehouse retail site in North America, CostCo combines member-based savings with a vast range of products, either online or in physical premises.
You just can’t walk into or go online to a Costco and start shopping. It is a membership-based retailer but with that membership comes very real savings and substantive perks. CostCo have their own in-house brand of products, an unrivaled customer service, bulk purchasing leading to incredible savings, full return policy, and exclusive online-based discounts.
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5. Walmart
Probably the most popular retailer in the U.S. right now, not to mention the world, with an annual revenue of $570 billion and the world’s largest single employer with approximately 2.2 million employees across 46 countries.
Walmart launched their online Marketplace in 2009 and since that, it has gone on to be one of the most popular online stores worldwide. One of its strengths is the flexibility in online orders; patrons can get goods delivered to their house or pick them up at a store, and with its acquisition of several subsidiaries such as Moosejaw, FlipKart, and Jet.com, the reach and scope of Walmart’s online reach has only increased exponentially.
Good for business, good for customers.